In the News

Natural Awakenings, February 2017

Fitness After 50

by Susan Lahey

Focus on Georgetown Magazine, July 2011

Staying healthy and fit past a half century takes the same effort applied differently. Where most people’s bodies are concerned, turning 50 years old is like a car’s odometer hitting 100,000 miles. If it’s been well maintained up to now, it may run another 100,000 miles. But if it’s been neglected, it will need special treatment. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a person in his 50s who exercises intensely and regularly can probably keep it up. Intense exercise increases an athlete’s heart rate, causes deep rapid breathing, and triggers sweating. But as people age, they must decide whether loss of bone density, changes in blood pressure, or other issues require a change in exercise habits. And in particular, the ACSM says men 45 and older, and women 55 and older, who don’t exercise regularly should see a doctor before beginning a regimen, especially if body weight or other medical complications are a concern. “It’s easier to maintain good health than it is to lose it and gain it again,” asserts Ki Browning, a fitness expert who teaches senior yoga classes at Sun City and Moksha on the Square in Georgetown. “If you need to lose 20 or 30 pounds, you have unhealthy eating habits. Simple consistent improvements in nutrition and exercise are essential when you’re over 50. Diets are a quick fix and dropped easily. Frequently they don’t work because you go back to the old way of eating as soon as you consider the diet “over.” You want to create a long-term healthy lifestyle not a temporary quick fix.”With more than 20 years of experience working in health and wellness, Ki has studied a variety of biomechanics techniques. She is a Certified Strength Trainer, Registered Yoga Teacher, and a Fitness over Fifty Specialist who studied at the Cooper Institute in Dallas. Ki believes people over 50 should make gradual fitness changes, rather than sudden changes. She often tackles weight gain by telling clients to find an outfit they love, but no longer fit into—and to use that outfit as a gauge. She also recommends eliminating one unhealthy thing out of a diet each month, in order to create a lifestyle change. Concerning exercise for the over- 50 crowd, she says the key is to get moving. As the Mayo Clinic reports, just 30 minutes of brisk walking each day can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent or manage Type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cancer, and help manage weight. Of course, Ki also recommends yoga, which is a gentle but intense exercise that strengthens muscles and prevents the loss of flexibility common to older adults. In fact, one of her priorities is to teach students to improve fitness while being gentle with themselves. “You want to feel comfortable in your body,” Ki says.

DIGITAL DRUGS, Jason Whitely reports DALLAS – If songs can set a scene, can listening to an iPod get you high? “Well the idea of listening to any kind of music can change your mood,” said Ki Steelman, a hypnotherapist. Now, a debate has arose from a little known website called I-Doser.com, which sells sounds that some say can get you high. A few dollars allegedly buys the feeling of acid or cocaine. Sensations from sedatives to sex are also touted for sale. Most of the tracks for sale sound mechanical with tones, ticks and hisses. But, listened to on headphones in a serene setting, some users say they have reached a feeling of being “high.” I-Doser even warns users listening may impair their ability to drive a car or operate machinery. Steelman, who has a degree in psychology and practices hypnotherapy, is skeptical. “It could give you a certain feeling,” she said. “Any types of tones and music would. What would concern me is – are there any types of subliminal messages underneath the tones?” Tracking down who’s behind the website was a challenge. A couple of messages weren’t immediately returned to News 8. Houston area schools are warning parents. A student at Pope John the 23rd High School in Katy complained his classmates were listening to I-Doser and then acting goofy afterwards. “Anything that has the ability to alter moods and emotions by sound waves might be asking for trouble,” an administrator wrote in a letter sent out to parents. YouTube is full of I-Dosers. Young people have tried the “downloadable doses” on iPods, laptops and MP3 players. Dozens complain it has no effect on them at all. No drug expert contacted by News 8 has heard of I-Doser.com. While some said they found it distasteful the site would sell sounds with the name of illegal drugs, most pointed out the idea is nothing more than meditation. “These binary tones [have] been around for decades,” Steelman said. “Now, they’re just marketing it in another way that kind of gets in this younger crowd.” I-Doser’s sounds are binary tones. Other ones have been used for years to induce meditation and treat anxiety, help depression and even stop smoking habits. Randall Rubenstein, a Plano drug counselor, uses music to wean clients off addictions. “It helps you to put you in a meditative state, which is in between awake and asleep,” he said. “And when you get done with say thirty minutes of that, you get up and you feel refreshed.” Minus any hidden messages, experts said, I-Doser – despite how it’s marketed – is safe. Whether someone can use it to achieve a meditative state is up to each listener.

This week’s workout: The perfect way to get bent into shape, 06:09 PM CDT on Monday, October 25, 2004, By MISTY BAILEY / The Dallas Morning NewsWho can do this: Anyone. Every pose can be modified to meet your level of fitness. The sweat factor: Not much for me. I glistened. Others dripped and needed a towel. Your pulse will increase, and you’ll get warm. But this isn’t “hot yoga,” where the room’s temperature is deliberately turned up. The energy level: Moderate. You’ve got to have mental energy to breathe through the poses and listen to your body. And breathing helps give you the physical energy to move from one pose to the next. But there’s recovery time between some poses. The single quotient: The class was mixed, with more women than men. But is it fun? Yes! I like group classes, but I find weight lifting and extreme cardio workouts grueling. Power yoga is much more my speed. What could be better than stretching, strengthening and toning yourself with your own body weight in a noncompetitive environment? Surprise: How relaxed I could be during a power yoga class. I attribute that to the instructor’s technique and her soothing speech patterns. She doesn’t lead you too swiftly in and out of poses or leave you holding poses so long that your muscles feel as if they’ll burn out. It’s just right. When it’s over: You’ll probably be sore the next day unless you practice regularly, but it’s nothing that a hot soak in the bathtub and more yoga can’t cure. The instructor: Ki Steelman has been highly recommended to us by her students. I see why. She’s motivational and easy to follow. She also makes it a point to help beginners with unfamiliar poses. Her calming and spiritual manner help make her class a relaxing power yoga experience. Gear and apparel: Loose clothing that lets you bend and stretch freely, bare feet and a sticky mat. But don’t wear anything too baggy. You don’t want a big T-shirt to get in the way of a pose or work its way up your torso if you’re inverted. Mats and optional items such as blocks and padding blankets are provided. The place: Noon Fridays at Premier Athletic Club’s yoga studio, 5910 Mockingbird Lane. The studio overlooks Mockingbird Station and Central Expressway. The cost: Free with membership in the Premier Club, $15 for guests. Call 214-891-6600 for membership information.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Click here or call 512-876-0071 to schedule an appointment. We will never share your personal information.